Refrigeration apparatus



Jan. 30, 1945. L

' REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed-Aug. 11

R O T N E V m RUSSELL M. HALL.

' ATTO Patented Jan. 30, 1945 v REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Russell M. Hall, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor wcstinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa.,

Pennsylvania a corporation of Application August 11, 1942, Serial No. 454,380

' 2 Claims. .My invention relates torefrigerator cabinet construction and particularly to a heat breaker strip and its assembly on refrigerator cabinets.

It is an object of my invention to provide a breaker strip assembly which is attached to a refrigerator cabinet without the use of nails,

screws or the like, and particularly to provide uch a breaker strip assembly wherein the breaker strip is formed of thin, relatively hard and flexible plastic material.

It is another object of my invention to attach a thin flexible breaker strip to a refrigerator cabinet. wherein one edge of the breaker strip experipherally of the access opening I6 is provided with a flange l9 extending toward the outer shell l3 and with a second flange 2| extending at right angles to the flange [9. A channeled edge is thereby formed which is exceptionally rigid and prevents distortion of the inner shell so that chipping or cracking of the usual vitreous enamel tends into a groove provided on the cabinet and to retain the breaker strip in position without the use of biasing springs disposed in the groove.

application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of a refrigerator cabinet embodying my invention, with parts thereof broken away for clarity;

coating on the inner shell i minimized.

A pocket or groove 22 is provided on the outer shell l3 and opens toward the inner shell I 2. The pocket 22 is preferably formed by providing a double flange 23 extending toward the inner shell l2, a flange 24 extending at right angles to the double flange 23 and a flange 25 extending toward the inner shell l2 and, parallel to the double flange 23.

. The breaker strip i8 is preferably formed of This material has a relatively hard surface, is

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of the refrigerator cabinet taken on line IIII'of Fig. 1;

inner shell l2 and an outer shell l3 with heat' insulation ll therebetween. The inner shell l2 encloses a food-storagecompartment l5 having.

anaccess opening l6 and a door l1 for closing the access opening. The inner and outer shells l2 and I3 are spaced apart peripherally of the access opening and a breaker strip generally indicated at l3, formed in four pieces which meet.

at the corners of the shells, closes the space between the shells. A plurality of comer-supporting strut .20 provide the major support of the inner shell l2 from the outer shell l3.

The edge of the inner shell l2 extending flexible and sufliciently strong structurally to be self-sustaining. A breaker strip of this type is full disclosed and claimed in the copending application of Or1and-H. Yoxsimer, Serial No. 448,065, filed June 23, 1942, for Refrigeration apparatus, and also assigned to'the Westinghouse Electric 8: Manufacturing Company.

In accordance with my invention, one marginal edge 26 of the breaker strip I8 is curved, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and extends into the pocket 22. The curved edge 26 biases the breakerstrip toward the double flange 23 and forms a tight flt therewith. Qbviously, edge 26 may be shaped in various ways to effect this biasing action. A leg member 21 is extruded adjacent a marginal edge 28 of the breaker strip l8. A plurality of spring clips 29 bent to hair-pin shape are placed on the flange 2| peripherally of the access opening. A sharp tab 3| is-punched in the clips 29 and bites into the flange 2| to retain the spring clip 29 in position. The legs of the spring clips 29 clamp the leg member 21 of the breaker strip l8 and flange 2| of the outer shell I! together, thus frictionally retaining the breaker strip in position. A plurality of slots 32 are cut in the leg member 21 of the breaker strip opposite each spring clip 23 to render the leg breaker strip I8 is then inserted in the pocket 22 and leg member 21 of the breaker strip is forced between flange 2| and spring clips 29. The breaker strip I8 is removable by inserting a knife blade or a screw driver under edge '28 of the breaker strip 18 and lifting the breaker strip free of the frictional engagement of clips 28. From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided an'improved breaker strip and attachment therefor which dispenses with nails, screws and the like and with biasing springs in the pocket 22. Furthermore, the breaker strip is very easy to app y to or remove from the cabinet.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the'spirlt thereof, and I desire, therefore, that onl such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth claims.

WhatIolaimis:

1..In a refrigerator cabinet having insulated walls comprising first and second shells with thermal insulation therebetween, said walls having an access opening, the edge portions of said first and second shells at said access opening terminating in spaced-apart relation, the edge porin the appended tion of said first shell having an inner and an outer flange forming a groove which lies parallel to the edge portion of said first shell, the combination with said cabinet of a breaker strip formed of hard, non-metallic material, said breaker strip having two longitudinal edge portions, one of said edge portions being thinner than the body of the breaker strip to render said edge portion more flexible, said one edge portion lying in said groove and being curved to form an obtuse angle with the portion of the breaker'stripadiacent thereto, said breakerstrip being so positioned on said cabinet that the extreme edge of the curved edge portion is biased against the inner flange of said groove and the portion of the breaker strip at the mouth 01' said groove is biased. against the outer flange thereof.

2; In a refrigerator cabinet, the combination of inner and outer shells having heat insulation therebetween, said shells surrounding. a foodstorage compartment having an access opening therein, said shells being spaced apart peripherally of the access opening, inner and outer flanges on one of said shells forming a groove opening towards the other shell, a flange on said other shell having a first portion extending towards said one shell and a second portion extending substantially at right angles to said first portion and joined to the edge of said first portion, a flat heat breaker strip of hard plastic material for closing the space between said shells, said heat breaker strip having edges, one edge of said breaker strip being positioned in said groove and bent at an obtuse angle to the plane of said breaker strip to engage the inner flange only at an area remote from the mouth of said groove and press said breaker strip against the outer flange only at an area adjacent the mouth of said groove, the portion of said breaker strip lying in said groove being or a thinness to render said portion flexible, the other edge of said breaker strip lying adjacent. the first portion of the flange of said other shell, an extension on said breaker strip lying adjacent said second portion of the flange of said other shell, and a spring bearing against said extension to press the same against said second portion.

. RUSSELL M. HALL. 

